# sweren
## Middle Dutch
### Etymology 1

From Old Dutch sweren, from Proto-West Germanic *swarjan, from Proto-Germanic *swarjaną, from Proto-Indo-European *swer-.

#### Verb

swēren
* to swear, to declare solemnly
* to swear, to curse

##### Inflection

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

##### Alternative forms

* swerren

##### Descendants

* Dutch: zweren
** Afrikaans: sweer
** Negerhollands: sweer
* Limburgish: zwaere

### Etymology 2

From Old Dutch *sweran, from Proto-Germanic *sweraną.

#### Verb

swēren
* to hurt, to be painful

##### Inflection

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

##### Descendants

* Dutch: zweren

### Further reading

* “sweren (III)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
* “sweren (IV)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
* Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “sweren (I)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN, page I
* Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “sweren (II)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN, page II

## Middle English
### Alternative forms

* swerien, swerie, swern, sweryn, zuerie, sweriȝen, swerye, swere, sueren

### Etymology

From Old English swerian, from Proto-West Germanic *swarjan, from Proto-Germanic *swarjaną; a cognate of Middle Low German sweren, Old Swedish sværia, Old Danish swæriæ, Middle Dutch swēren, and Middle High German swern.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈswɛːrən/, /ˈswɛːriən/

### Verb

sweren
* To swear to do something; to make an oral binding statement.
** To swear while laying hands on something as confirmation.
** To swear by using a deity or divinity as witness.
** To swear to remain truthful, honest and trustworthy.
** To swear to adhere or remain faithful to a given person.
** (rare) To give approval or permission by swearing.
* To give witness in a legal or judicial context.
* To curse; to utter swearwords (especially as part of a promise)
* To approve or affirm an oral binding statement.
* To form a conspiracy or secret pact; to effect covertly.
* To make a decisive and important statement or claim.
* (rare) To claim or exclaim; to state.
* (rare) To lay the foundation for a religion.

#### Usage notes

Occasional weak forms are also found throughout the Middle English period.

#### Conjugation

| infinitive | (to) sweren, swere | (to) sweren, swere |
| | present tense | past tense |
| 1st-person singular | swere | swor, swar |
| 2nd-person singular | swerest | swore, sware, swor, swar |
| 3rd-person singular | swereth | swor, swar |
| subjunctive singular | swere | swore$^1$, sware$^1$ |
| imperative singular | swere | — |
| plural$^2$ | sweren, swere | sworen, swore, swaren, sware |
| imperative plural | swereth, swere | — |
| participles | swerynge, swerende | sworen, swore, sworn, ysworen, yswore, ysworn |
$^1$Replaced by the indicative in later Middle English. $^2$Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

#### Related terms

* forsweren
* swerer
* sweryng

#### Descendants

* English: swear
* Scots: swer, swere, sweir

#### References

* “swēren, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-12-3.

## Old Dutch
### Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *swarjan, from Proto-Germanic *swarjaną.

### Verb

sweren
* to swear (an oath)

#### Derived terms

* bisweren

#### Descendants

* Middle Dutch: swēren, swerren
** Dutch: zweren
*** Afrikaans: sweer
*** Negerhollands: sweer
** Limburgish: zwaere

#### Further reading

* “sweren”, in Oudnederlands Woordenboek, 2012

## Old High German
### Alternative forms

* swerien, swerren

### Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *swarjan, from Proto-Germanic *swarjaną, whence also Old Saxon swerian, Old English swerian, Old Norse sverja, Gothic 𐍃𐍅𐌰𐍂𐌰𐌽 (swaran). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *swer-.

### Verb

sweren
* to swear

#### Descendants

* Middle High German: swern
** Alemannic German: schwere
** German: schwören
** Luxembourgish: schwieren